Senator takes up wind-farm noise issue

WIND farms should be regulated to ensure they don't create excessive noise, parliament has been told.

Democratic Labor Party senator John Madigan and Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon on Thursday introduced a private member's bill to amend the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000.

The amendments would give powers to the regulator so that accredited power stations that were wind farms did not create excessive noise.

Senator Madigan said the bill addressed an issue of "vital importance" to all Australians.

"There are matters of health, matters of proper regulation and matters of a substantial increase in taxpayer funding," the Victorian MP said.

"The legislation is not an attack on the wind industry; it is not an attack on renewable energies."

But NSW Labor Left senator Doug Cameron said the bill ignored the science on climate change.

"We have just heard Senator Madigan's 'stop the planet, I want to get off' bill," Senator Cameron told parliament.

He said Senator Madigan was not concerned about people who have a problem with wind turbine noise.

"It is his fundamental denial that there is a problem with changing climate around the world," he said.

Senator Cameron said it was "absolutely important" that parliament deal with the issue on the basis of science, and not allow groups to run around and try to create fear about wind farms in local communities.

Liberal South Australian Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said many people had concerns about the impact of wind farms on their lifestyles and health.

"Those concerns should not be easily dismissed, those issues should be seriously dealt with," he said.

But this did not mean the wind industry should be shut down, Senator Birmingham said.

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